thehonestape.com
BuildingThis site. Astro 5 + Payload CMS, deployed to Cloudflare Pages with D1 at the edge. Authored end-to…

01 The letter, continued
To whom it may concern,
My work has always crossed brand, product, and engineering. The work I'm proudest of is the work where those threads pull together. A brand that ships as a product, a product that argues for a way of working, an essay that argues for both. I draft intent in a model, prototype in the browser, put it in front of real people, and only systemize what survives.
What interests me now is the work that sits between disciplines. Creative direction that knows how the system gets built. Design engineering that respects the brand. Teaching that connects design to the cultures and tools moving underneath it. That seam is where I want to keep working.
If any of that resonates, I'd welcome a conversation.
Identity systems, campaign work, and editorial direction for cultural institutions, founder-led brands, and federal initiatives. Sixteen years directing teams across writing, photography, motion, and design. Recognition includes a Congressional Record citation, two Core77 awards, an AIGA50, and original research featured in Ellen Lupton's Type on Screen.
AI-native engineering practice. The loop is intent in a model, prototype in React, test with real users, then systemize what survives in Figma. I direct Claude Code and Cursor through the build, reviewing every change through the brand and product lens. Designed and shipped launch pages, marketing sites, and product surfaces for Giffords, ADL, PBS Kids, AACT, PrioriPriori NaturalBrand launch campaign for a luxury skincare and wellness brand. Creative direction, photography, and packaging.View case study , NeurogazerNeurogazerBrand, marketing site, and prototype patient platform for a neuroscience and AI startup.View case study , and Workhorse itself. Stack today: React 19, Astro, SwiftUI, Framer Motion, and edge runtimes on Cloudflare. Headless CMS (Payload) and WordPress theming when the project calls for it.
Token-based systems that hold up across web, product, and print. Foundations, primitives, component libraries, and motion language built on Radix, shadcn, Framer Motion, and GSAP, with brand-level governance so the system survives a redesign. Currently directing @workhorse/ui, the token-based web design system used across Workhorse sites and client work.
Daily practice on Claude, Cursor, and the Anthropic API since 2022. Custom tool-use agents, MCP servers, and agentic content pipelines are now part of how the studio scopes, builds, and delivers. Frontier models in the loop, not on the side. Writing publicly about it at meaninglayer.substack.com.
Studio and field production for skincare, floral, hospitality, and editorial portrait work. Built media libraries used in national press, ad campaigns, and ecommerce for Boodywear, PrioriPriori NaturalBrand launch campaign for a luxury skincare and wellness brand. Creative direction, photography, and packaging.View case study , Crystal City BID, and others. Comfortable directing a crew or working solo with a single body.
Faculty experience at MICA and George Mason; mentorship across cohorts of working designers since. Workhorse keeps a two-story carriage house on Capitol Hill: production floor, conference room, and workstations, open to collaborators and clients for meetings, shoots, and residencies.
Leading end-to-end brand strategy, creative direction, and design for an award-winning studio serving cultural institutions, educational organizations, and founder-led brands.
Hospitality & Tourism
Science-backed Consumer & Health
EdTech & E-learning
Tech & Data
Real Estate
Launched the 'Etsy for Florists' as an integrated brand, product, and content system. Comprehensive product and go-to-market design for a seed-stage floral business startup.
Culture-forward design and development at a fast-growing music platform. Helped evolve the product from a lyrics site into a headline-grabbing annotation platform.
Fast-paced branding and design at an iconic advertising agency working on national and global campaigns. Led design on new business pitches for Fortune 500 brands.
Strategic and technical design and illustration for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other government transportation agencies and initiatives.
Communications, design, and marketing for a non-profit clinic serving the immigrant population in NW Washington, DC.
Comprehensive research and behavioral design for Hispanic and Latino populations. Leading evidence-based creative strategy, research, and strategic insights.
Designed and taught web design and usability courses focused on interdisciplinary, user-centered digital experiences.
Supported design faculty in advertising, electronic media, and visual communication courses for undergraduate and graduate students.
Creative direction and design for a pioneering music event hosted at the United States Capitol, which included bipartisan musical performances from sitting members of Congress.
Led an integrated effort with festival founders to launch a culturally significant brand and documentary film institution in Washington, DC.
For 'Up from the PeopleUp from the PeoplePermanent exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, DC. Core77 Design Award.View case study : Protest and Change in D.C.,' the permanent installation at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.
Branding and design for Double ExposureDouble Exposure: Investigative Film FestivalAIGA50-recognized identity and campaign system for the Washington, DC investigative film festival.View case study : Investigative Film Festival.
For 'Status Update,' a Baltimore City Health Department public health campaign.
Design, writing, and research featured in 'Type on Screen' by Ellen Lupton. Completed at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Communications and design for a local non-profit arts council in James Island, South Carolina.
Showcased motion graphics, risograph posters, and zines. Final pieces sold at the yearly studio artist gala.
Led digital and interactive design for an award-winning Baltimore City Health Department health marketing campaign.
A short stack of places to read more — newsletter, profile, source.